• Tesla posted a new video on Chinese social media showing off the Model Y L, a longer wheelbase variant of the popular vehicle.
• The six-seat extended SUV will cost $47,200 in China, but Tesla didn't say if it plans a US launch.
• The Model Y is the most popular midsize SUV in China, though sales have been relatively flat amid stiff competition.

A new Tesla variant has arrived — just not in the US.

On Monday, Tesla posted a video of the upcoming Model Y L to its account on Weibo, a Chinese social media platform. Translated from Chinese, the post said that the vehicle was "coming soon."

Hours after the video was posted, Tesla announced on Weibo that the Model Y L would be priced from 339,000 yuan ($47,200). The company is now taking orders for the extended SUV on its Chinese website, with deliveries estimated for September.

The video shows three rows of seats, the back two of which fold forward.

The middle row of the vehicle features two stand-alone "captain chairs," which also appear to have new powered armrests that rise up. While the captain chairs in the Model X only tilt forward, these chairs appear to fold all the way down for more storage space.

The video also shows a black headliner, the material on the vehicle's ceiling, and a new logo stamped on the back, with two small accents added to the traditional Model Y badge.

News of Tesla's plans for a six-seat rendition of its Model Y first broke in 2024, when sources told Reuters that the vehicle would launch the following year in China. In July, Tesla registered plans for the Model Y L with a wheelbase of 3,040 mm, according to a filing viewed by the news outlet. The filing also indicated that the Model Y L would be almost 200 mm longer than the Model Y.

The Model Y is the most popular SUV in China. China is Tesla's second-largest market, though the company's sales have been sagging in the region amid fierce competition from BYD, Xiaomi, and Xpeng. Tesla sold 129,000 vehicles in China in the second quarter of 2025, down nearly 12% year-over-year.

BYD sold 1.76 million battery electric cars in 2024. Tesla sold 1.79 million cars that same year, edging out its Chinese competitor.

The Chinese smartphone and electric vehicle company Xiaomi recently launched its own SUV, underpricing Tesla. Chinese EV startup Xpeng also released a Model Y competitor below the Model Y sticker price.

It is not yet clear whether Tesla plans to launch the Model Y L in the United States.

• Tesla has been building modified Model Ys for its Robotaxi program, sources told BI.
• The project is referred to internally as "Halo" and involves cars with self-cleaning cameras and telecommunication units.
• Tesla's Robotaxi service launched in Austin with a geofenced area and in-vehicle safety monitors.

Inside Tesla's Austin factory, employees have built modified Model Ys for the company's high-stakes Robotaxi program, sources with knowledge of the matter told Business Insider.

The project, internally referred to as "Halo," involves cars with slightly different parts than the Model Ys that consumers can buy, the insiders said. Among other things, the Halo vehicles have self-cleaning cameras and extra protection for the cameras to prevent damage and debris, one person said.

The vehicles also have a second telecommunications unit in addition to the unit normally built into the Model Y, one person said. The units provide GPS coordinates for the vehicle and allow it to connect with remote operators.

Elon Musk told investors during the company's earnings call in April that Tesla would use remote operators who could intervene in the event of an emergency. AI engineering lead Srihari Sampathkumar posted a picture that appeared to show desks with steering wheels at Tesla's offices on Sunday.

Tesla plans to incorporate the Halo vehicles into its fleet later this year, sources with knowledge of the matter said. For its June 22 launch, Musk's automaker used Model Ys with self-cleaning cameras, as spotted by some observers on social media. Earlier this year, Tesla said on X it was working on a solution to keeping its cameras clean.

Musk has said that Tesla's Robotaxi operates solely off the cameras, and does not include LiDAR or radar sensors, unlike other self-driving companies.

Tesla did not respond to a request for comment.

Tesla rolled out its Robotaxi service to a select group of users. Shortly after the release, early invitees posted reviews on X and YouTube. Wedbush analyst Dan Ives said in a note to investors that his experience exceeded his expectations.

"The ride itself was completely smooth, and it was indistinguishable that the car was driverless as there was never a moment in the vehicle where we felt as if it did something irrational," he wrote.

For now, Tesla's Robotaxis will operate within a geofenced area in Austin. In addition to the remote operators, a human safety monitor sits in the passenger seat and can push buttons on the central screen to pull over or stop the vehicle. These buttons are also accessible to passengers via the screen in the rear of the vehicle.

The monitor also appears to be in communication with Tesla's remote safety drivers, according to one video posted to YouTube.

Musk said during the April earnings call that the company will start out with about 10 to 20 Robotaxis, with plans to expand further over time.

On launch day, Musk posted a picture of himself celebrating with the AI team. Shares of Tesla's stock were up 8% the day after the launch.

Musk has said that the self-driving software will allow Tesla owners to one day lease out their vehicles as robotaxis. Currently, Tesla owners can purchase a beta version of the company's Full Self-Driving software that requires a licensed driver to monitor the vehicle for $99 per month.

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